The great Denzel: Actor combines acting talent, business acumen to bring film to life

Denzel Washington lines up a shot on the set of 'The Great Debaters, ' filmed mostly in Shreveport and directed by Washington. The film, in theaters now, marks his second go at directing.

Denzel Washington is talking about his latest project, the made-in-Louisiana film "The Great Debaters, " but the two-time Oscar winner just doesn't sound like himself.

That hint of an accent is there, betraying his New York roots -- when he says it, "The Great Debaters" becomes "The Great Debate-uhs" -- and he's every bit as affable as you'd expect him to be. When he talks about the nuts-and-bolts of the film, however, something seems . . . off.

Yes, this is the Denzel Washington, the swoon-inducing actor who just added a Golden Globe nomination for best actor to his already impressive resume, in recognition of his work in the drama "American Gangster." But when it comes to "The Great Debaters" -- in which he stars as the coach of a barrier-breaking black college debate team in the Jim Crow era -- instead of discussing character motivation or dialect or some other staple of the actor's toolbox, he slings around words such as "profit" and "business" and "budget."

This isn't the actor talking. This is Denzel Washington the filmmaker -- the director.

"The Great Debaters" is only Washington's second shot at directing -- the first was the well-received but little-seen 2002 film "Antwone Fisher" -- but to hear him talk, you'd swear he's been doing it forever.

"You think about the directors I've worked with, something had to stick, " Washington said during a recent phone conversation. "So a lot of things clicked in once I got behind the camera. I've worked with Sidney Lumet, Norman Jewison, Richard Attenborough, Jonathan Demme, Spike Lee, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott -- I've worked with some great directors, so something had to stick."

He's been working behind the scenes for 10 to 15 years as a producer, he said, and that also helped prepare him to step behind the megaphone. "But to finally take the next step, I've learned a lot from the films I've made" as an actor. "And as I decided as I was getting closer to directing, which started about 10 years ago, I started watching more closely what they were doing and how they were doing it."

Quite a bit apparently has stuck, at least if you ask the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the group that annually awards the Golden Globes. This month, "The Great Debaters" became one of seven nominees for 2007's best-picture trophy.

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"The Great Debaters" was supposed to be a project for Denzel Washington the director, not for the actor as well. After all, helming a multimillion-dollar studio production is stressful enough without having to get into hair and makeup every morning.

But from a practical standpoint -- from a business standpoint -- it made sense for him to wear both hats.

Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker share a moment on the set of 'The Great Debaters.'

Now playing: Can be seen in his Golden Globe-nominated role in "American Gangster, " and in the Golden Globe-nominated "The Great Debaters, " which he also directed.

Coming soon: Re-teaming with frequent collaborator Tony Scott for a remake of the 1974 thriller "The Taking of Pelham 123."

He said it: On people who might be hesitant to see a movie about debating: "I kept telling people, 'Look, it's a sports movie.' In studying this and doing the research, (debating) was a big spectator sport at the time. . . . It's a tricky title in a way, because it does suggest one thing, but I think the movie is about much more than that."

"I wasn't interested in acting in this movie, or in 'Antwone Fisher, ' " Washington said. "I wasn't attracted to the project as an acting project. But I understand the business of it, and that's what it had to do with -- getting the budget to make the movie.

"In order to get the money that we needed to get the movie made -- which ended up being $25 million or $26 million -- they wouldn't give it to me unless I was in the picture. I didn't want to do that, but I understood. And when I thought about it I said, 'OK, you know what, maybe it's better that I'm in it, because more people will go see it.' "

It's a refreshingly frank admission from a guy who's made his name in a business that's not exactly known for its forthrightness. But Washington shows that he's prone to straight-shooting, regardless of perception.

Take, for example, his stated reason for bringing "The Great Debaters" to Louisiana. The production, which filmed in several towns near Shreveport -- primarily Mansfield -- marked his second time filming here since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. (His previous Louisiana project, the New-Orleans-made "Deja Vu, " was the first major studio project in the city after the flood.) As such, it provided the perfect opportunity for him to launch into some disingenuous speech about wanting to help the state in its recovery, blah, blah, blah.

Instead, he summed up his motivation for coming here in two words, delivered without hesitation: "Tax incentives."

"It was strictly a business decision, " he said. "I mean, I'm glad we could be of help. A lot of the crew came up from New Orleans. . . . When we were shooting down there on 'Deja Vu, ' I was glad we could spend some money down there and fill up a couple of hotels."

But when it comes down to it, he said, it's about getting the biggest bang for your buck -- or, more precisely, for your financier's buck. So when you can go to, say, Louisiana with $26 million in your pocket and, because of tax incentives, get what in other states would cost you $35 million or $40 million, it's hard not to take advantage of that.

"It's called show business, " Washington said.

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There's much more to "The Great Debaters" than business, however. Yes, ideally, it will make money for the Weinstein Co. and Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions, both of which had a hand in making the film. But at its root is an inspirational story that Washington wanted to share.

Based on real events, it is set at the historically black Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, which in the 1930s had an all-black debate team that challenged some of the nation's elite universities -- despite not being allowed to join the national debate society. The film weaves together a number of story lines as it follows the Wiley squad on its history-making journey.

Denzel Washington, center, discusses a scene with Denzel Whitaker and Jurnee Smollett on the set of 'The Great Debaters.'

"The Great Debaters" includes some composite characters to tell the story, but two of its most fascinating figures are based on real people: debate team instructor Melvin Tolson Jr., who went on to become a renowned poet, and debate team member James Farmer Jr., who was instrumental in the American civil rights movement.

Despite the historical significance of the Wiley team's story -- not to mention the built-in drama -- not many people were familiar with it until the film got rolling. That included Washington.

"I knew about Farmer from the civil rights movement; I didn't know about Wiley College at all. I knew of Tolson, but I didn't really know his poetry at all, " Washington said. "When I read the script I was moved by it, and by the time they got to the Harvard speech about Texas, I was like, 'Wow, who are these guys?' I didn't know anything about it, to be honest with you."

As part of his research, Washington traveled to Texas to speak with some of the people who witnessed the Wiley debate team first-hand, including 96-year-old Henrietta Bell, who was on the team, and Melvin Tolson Jr. Interviews conducted on that trip were taped, and Washington said he hopes to include them on the eventual DVD release of "The Great Debaters."

Despite the fact that the film includes a mostly black cast and focuses on a historically black college, the film is not a "black" film, Washington said. Rather, it's an American film, about a chapter of American history, and one that he hopes will resonate with movie-goers of all types.

"We had a screening the other night, and everybody was asking questions about the history and all that, and one kid stood up and says, 'I'm just like that kid up there -- I never get the girl. I'm just happy to see somebody up there who reminds me of me.' . . . So those themes are universal. The way Nate Parker's character, Henry Lowe, deals with his demons is through the bottle -- unfortunately, it's a universal thing today, drug abuse and depression and whatever.

"My prayer and my hope, and it seems to be happening already, is that we get as many young people -- black, white, blue, green, whatever color -- to see the movie (as we can). Because this is American history, on the one hand. And also because it's the story about three or four college kids that I think a lot of people -- no matter what color they are -- can relate to."

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With "The Great Debaters" behind him, Washington is packing for New York.

Tony Scott, who directed him in 2006's "Deja Vu, " 2004's "Man on Fire" and 1995's "Crimson Tide, " has another project for him: a remake of the 1974 Walter Matthau thriller "The Taking of Pelham 123, " about the fictional hijacking of a New York subway train.

Washington will have to leave his director's chair at home for this one, but he's already looking for another project to helm, since directing now holds more allure for him than acting.

"I've been very blessed to find a brand-new career, and I'm really excited about it, " he said. 'I guess when I say I'd rather direct than act, I can say this: I'm much more excited about directing than acting.

But, straight-shooting again, he adds, "Based on the amount of money I got for directing 'The Great Debaters, ' " Washington said with a laugh, "I'd go broke if I didn't act. My bills are too high."

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Movie writer Mike Scott can be reached at (504) 826-3444 or mscott@timespicayune.com. He blogs at blog.nola.com/mikescott.